The TV host said Trump raped and defamed his victim, while the court admitted “sexual assault” and defamation, not “rape.”
ABC News will pay $15 million to Donald Trump’s “presidential foundation and museum” to settle a defamation lawsuit stemming from remarks by anchor George Stephanopoulos. CNN reported this on Saturday, December 14.
It is noted that the agreement also provides for the payment of one million dollars in Trump’s legal fees and a public apology.
The statement, which will be appended to the article that is the subject of the lawsuit, said: “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret the statements about President Donald J. Trump made during George Stephanopoulos’ interview with Representative Nancy Mace on ABC on March 10 , 2024.”
“We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to settle the case on the terms filed in court,” an ABC News spokesperson said in a statement.
Trump’s lawsuit in federal court in Florida focuses on statements Stephanopoulos made in an interview with Republican Rep. Nancy Mace in March. The host said ten times that the jury found Trump guilty of raping E. Jean Carroll.
Carroll has alleged that Trump raped her in the 1990s at a department store and then defamed her, denying the allegations. In 2023, a jury found that Trump sexually assaulted Carroll, but did not admit to rape. Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages and later another $83.3 million for defamation.
Trump said Stephanopoulos’ comments were “false, malicious and damaging to his reputation.” In July 2023, the judge allowed the case to continue, noting that Stephanopoulos’ statements differed significantly from the wording of the court’s verdict.
The agreement came a day after a judge ruled that Trump and Stephanopoulos must testify next week. As a result, Trump, who is preparing to return to the White House, will avoid the legal risks associated with testifying under oath.
Let’s remember that Carroll first spoke about what happened in the summer of 2019. His book says that he met Trump at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York in 1996. A friendly conversation began between them, then invited Trump asked her to try on the underwear, which she considered a gift for another woman. According to Carroll, Trump accompanied her to the fitting room, where she was raped.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.